Management Development Needs Assessment

Yvonne Lamb, Director of Training at the Washington Post, designed this needs assessment to survey their assignment editors/middle managers. "We are trying to better gauge their professional development needs and what we can do to improve the quality of life for the middle managers." This needs assessment, accompanied by a letter from Executive Editor Len Downie, went out to all of their assignment editors, in mid-January. The results will be used to help design a management development program for assignment editors.

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1. Name: (Optional)

 

___________________________________________

2. Department: ___________________________________________
3. Years in current position: ___________________________________________
4. Previous years as a manager: ___________________________________________
5. Where: ___________________________________________

List the kinds of management positions held:

___________________________________________

 

___________________________________________

 

6. Have you taken any professional development courses offered at The Post and if so, how valuable have they been for you in your job?
(Rate 1 - 5; 5 highest)

In-House University Writing Program

_____________

Washington Post Leadership Workshop at API

_____________

Frontline Leadership

_____________

Tricks of the Trade for Assignments Editors (w/ Wilkinson, etc.)

_____________

Libel Seminar

_____________

Advanced Feature Writing Seminar

_____________

Other

_____________
   
7. Have you attended any outside professional development seminars and if so, how valuable were they to you in your job? (1 - 5; 5 highest)

Poynter Institute for Media Studies

_____________

American Press Institute

_____________

NABJ

_____________

NAHJ

_____________

AAJA Leadership Development Program

_____________

Maynard Institute for Journalism Education

_____________

Center for Creative Leadership

_____________

Institute for Management Studies

_____________

Franklin Covey Time Management

_____________

ASNE Leadership Workshop

_____________

Other

_____________
 
8. In which areas would you find training most valuable? (Rank in order of priority, with 1 being the top priority.)
  • Technical Skills

Line editing

_____________

Conceptualizing Stories

_____________

Thinking Analytically

_____________

Editing Feature Stories

_____________

Editing the Project Story

_____________

Designing Coverage

_____________

Understanding Numbers

_____________

Thinking Visually

_____________

Developing Subject Area Expertise

_____________ (What subject? __________________________)
 
  • Managing Skills
 

Managing People

_____________

Managing Up

_____________

Managing Multiple Tasks

_____________

Time Management

_____________

Managing Conflict

_____________

Managing Difficult People

_____________

Managing Creative People

_____________

Managing Diversity

_____________

Developing People

_____________

Coaching Writers

_____________

Communication Skills

_____________

Creativity

_____________

Performance evaluations

_____________

Leadership development

_____________

Interdepartmental Relationships

_____________
   
  • Research skills
 

Intro to Computer Assisted Reporting

_____________

Internet Research

_____________

Nexis/DowJones

_____________

Posthaste

_____________

Lotus Notes

_____________

Excel

_____________

Databases

_____________

The Source

_____________

Others

_____________
   
9. What learning methods do you find helpful?
  Very Somewhat Never

Classes at The Post

     

Classes outside The Post run by Post staffers

     

Classes outside The Post run by others

     

One-on-One training

     

Half-day classes

     

One-hour classes

     

Two-hour classes

     

All-day classes

     

Weeklong classes

     

Written Manuals/Books

     

Colleagues Helping

     

Coaching

     
       
10. What time of day is better for you for in-house training?

9-11 a.m.

 

10-noon

 

9:30 – noon

 

12-2 p.m.

 

Other ________

 
   
11. Which days of the week are better for training?

Monday

 

Tuesday

 

Wednesday

 

Thursday

 

Friday

 

Saturday

 
   

12. What prevents you from taking classes offered by The Post?

   
   
13. What in the way of professional development do you need to do your job better?
   
   

14. If you could change one thing about your job that would improve the quality of your work life, what would it be? And why?

   
   
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